When it stops do you have to wait quite a while before you can restart it.
This is an indication that it is the motor that is overheating, it's internal thermal cutoff opens and the motor must then cool down for the cutoff to reset so you can start it again.

Try turning the drum by hand, it should turn fairly easily. This checks if a mechanical overload is causing a problem.

Clean the motor and interior of the unit, perhaps it is just clogged up with lint and is not cooling properly.

denman - no, i don't have to wait to turn it back on. the top of the dryer gets very hot, but i can restart it right away. i pulled the dryer out from the wall, and disconnected the lint trap so it was just blowing the hot air out the back. I'll take the back off the unit this evening and see if there's any more lint somewhere.
thanks

okay, took it apart. can't find any loose connections or anything. no lint buildup either. do you think maybe a new belt would help? maybe the belt is getting worn, the drum stops turning causing the motor to get hot? is that any kind of possibility??

okay, took it apart. can't find any loose connections or anything. no lint buildup either. do you think maybe a new belt would help? maybe the belt is getting worn, the drum stops turning causing the motor to get hot? is that any kind of possibility??

It does not sound like you motor is overheating because you can restart it right away. Because of the thermal mass of the motor it takes a while to cool down and it's thermal cutout to reset.
Flip the breaker off and check the wiring connections, I have had several of these lately for some reason.

Could be the door switch perhaps when the unit heats up the metal expands and if the switch is just making, it opens killing the motor.

ok - i guess i misunderstood the first part about restarting it. it takes about a minute before i can restart it. i don't know what i was thinking - sorry. so that means it IS the motor after all, huh? yikes. it's almost worth buying a new dryer instead. figures.

i can turn the drum easily by hand, and there's no lint buildup so it shouldn't be a cooling issue. do motors just start overheating like this?

Yes: Sometimes they just start to overheat.
Sometimes the centrifugal switch for the start winding does not open, this keeps the start winding in circuit and overheats the motor. Unfortunately these days you have to buy a complete motor assembly.

When the motor goes is when I seriously look at replacing the dyer.
This is not a great machine to start with. It uses a rear center mount for the drum instead of rear support rollers which are better.

A minute does seem awful fast for a reset.
Let it trip, then start it right away, do this a few times.
Now does it trip faster and take longer to reset?
Just trying to get a little confirmation that it is the motor.
If shut down and reset times remain the same then I do not think it is the motor.

When it stops do you have to wait quite a while before you can restart it.
This is an indication that it is the motor that is overheating, it's internal thermal cutoff opens and the motor must then cool down for the cutoff to reset so you can start it again.

Try turning the drum by hand, it should turn fairly easily. This checks if a mechanical overload is causing a problem.

Clean the motor and interior of the unit, perhaps it is just clogged up with lint and is not cooling properly.

Note: In about 90% of the cases it ends up being the motor.

I would like to thank denman, after replacing the motor my dryer is again purring like a kitten after 19 years of service. My dryer is a Kenmore 70 series 11097576200.

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